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Subject:Re: Use of the First Person From:Barry House <bhouse -at- CREATIVE-HOUSE -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 30 Jan 1998 13:41:56 -0600
Tim Altom wrote:
>
>The reality, though, is that we all have to put up with editors, clients,
>bosses, and sometimes even subject matter experts who fancy themselves as
>expert in writing as they are in, say, shuffling papers across the desk.
>These people are often gatekeepers to where we want to be and they will not
>be mocked. My advice is to always ask for a style guide recommendation
>_before_ you start to write.
Or get hold of some recent editions of the publication or scholarly journal
you're submitting the article to. Studying a few published articles can
often give you better insight into preferred style than a style guide can.
>Then grit your teeth and put up with the
>absurdities, or move on to another publication if your teeth won't stand
>for it. Then make your writing as clear and simple as it can be within
>those boundaries. Look at your publisher's stand not as a right-wrong
>issue, but as a stylistic idionsyncrasy.
>
Amen. Whenever you're writing on spec for a particular publication, your
chances of acceptance are much greater if you submit something that sounds
like everything they publish.
Barry House
The Creative House--Helping Businesses Communicate
P.O. Box 523
Pittsfield, IL 62363
217-285-2900
217-285-2950 Fax http://www.creative-house.com
